Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Meme??

Ok, I've never done this before, so I have NO CLUE what I'm doing, but here I go. There's apparently this guy doing a paper of some kind for MLA 2006, and wants to know something about how fast stuff travels on the internet. Or something.
Anyway, according to Moth Heaven and Julie this is a good thing.
So, link to this blog & ask all your readers to do the same.
I guess that all you have to do? I'm really not up on meme's.
OH, SNAP!!
Here's a definition
Sometimes I amaze even myself.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

What the HELL was I thinking????

Oh, I'll just knit a couple pairs of socks. OK, 2 adult and one baby pair. And some gauntlets. That's it - not much for Christmas giving. I must have been dropped on my head when I was a kid - seriously! I have started the SAME FREAKING PAIR of socks THREE F*&(ING TIMES!!!! It's a really simple pair, no cables or fancy colorwork. Just straight-forward 2X2 ribbing, then stockingknit - but can I get more than a couple of inches done???? APPARENTLY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!
F%*&ING SOCKS

i'm gonna go sit in the corner and cry now.

Monday, November 20, 2006

I did it!!!

I went exploring today and found the new Village Wools. It's huge, it's gorgeous, and they had BOTH books I've been jonesing. I looked through "Socks, socks, socks" and it's now MINE, MINE, MINE! The extra-added bonus is I found sock patterns for nephew & his gf, so I don't have to send off for the kit - just get my butt down to the afore-mentioned Village Wools or to one of my LYS's in SF. VW also had Victorian Knitting Today, which WILL be mine, but at $30, we'll be a-waitin' for that sweet little purchase - prob after Christmas (since I don't have time to be knitting lace right now, anyways!) So, I'm feeling very happy with my non-progress on my Christmas knitting - I now know WHAT, I just need to find out WITH WHAT. I did my Target (pronounced tar-jay, thank you very much) shopping at lunch, too, so I get to go straight home after work. 'Course, lunch was an hour and a half today (thank goodness for maxi-flex!) so I'll be going home a bit later than usual, but that's ok. There's pizza and quite possibly beer in my future, so I'm a very happy woman. Crampy and Grouchy seem to have left the building for a bit, although Crampy will probably be making a re-appearance (judging by the way I feel right now). I've got ibuprofen to tame that little bugger - he'll be gone soon enough!
I'm feeling very guilty for the picture-lessness of my blog lately, so I took some pics of the lovely pink gloves I'm working on. Here's the glove viewed from the air:

And here's an extreme close-up of the stst portion of the palm:

See?? I DO TOO KNIT!!!! and occasionally take pictures.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

What's a knitter to do????

OK, here it is, the last Sunday before Thanksgiving. Mom's coming on Weds, and the house is no where NEAR ready for her arrival. The kitchen still needs to be cleaned, dishes need to be washed, floors swept and mopped (although that sweeping part will be particularly hard, since my broom - both of them - was sacrificed to the "that-damn-dog-won't-shit-in-my-floor-again!" gods), living room floor vacuumed, and the general "stuff" picked up. Fortunately, the kidlet is good for some of this stuff. She loves the vacuum, so she'll do that part, and most of the picking up, but I'm stuck with the kitchen, since she has a pathological fear of putting away the dishes, or touching them at all, in any way, other than to use them to eat off of. I know, it's weird, but what's a mom to do? I've found it's best sometimes to realize when you've lost a battle and move on - there will be others, of this I am completely sure.
Rememeber back a few weeks ago, I was spouting off about this wonderful, locally dyed, hand-painted yarn that I'd gotten at my LYS? Sometimes I'm such a dork! It's Claudia hand-paint, and I'm in love with this yarn more than I can possibly say. I'm currently knitting my favorite ruffled gloves with what they've called "Peony", but I think looks like pink peppermint candy ice cream. It's a beautiful shade of pastel pink, with little stripey thinks of bright pink, and every once in a while there's the tiniest burst of the same bright pink. It's soft, and supple, and I think I can feel the lanolin in my fingers (ok, that last is probably just me being super stupid, but this stuff is AMAZINGLY soft!) It's like knitting with a pink cloud. OK, I'm officially the biggest knitting dork, but I don't care.
I've become obsessed with entrelac socks - OK, I've been obsessed with both entrelac and socks for a long time, but I was cruising over at Eunny's blog, and saw the BEAUTIFUL entrelac socks she's been knitting! I'm more than obsessed! I. NEED. THOSE. SOCKS! I've heard rumors they're the ones in "Socks, Socks, Socks", but I need to see an actual copy before I can be sure. I've got a BUNCH of left-over Koigu that I will use, if/when I find the pattern. I'm also loving the pink socks that the Yarn Harlot is knitting, and I think they're in that book, too. SO, the hunt is on! I might just have to order it, without looking at it first, since my local Borders doesn't have it, and I'm not going down town. I might stop at Michael's and look, they sometimes have "older" books, and maybe go to Village Wools tomorrow, to see if they have it. When I'm obsessed, I'm truely obsessed!
Welp, looks like I haven't taken any pics lately - bad me! I'll take some soon, so I have pics to post.
OH, YEAH - The reason for this post!
CHRISTMAS KNITTING!!!
Not happening yet! I need to get the yarn for all 4 projects, and the patterns for the socks for my nephew & his girlfriend, and then I can start. So, that's the Christmas update. I hope I can knit these as fast as I think I can, or once again, Christmas will be late! Yeah, like that's never happened before!

Monday, November 13, 2006

Of Socks and Patriotism, and other stuff

It was a momentous weekend at my house - not all good, but momentous, nonetheless.
I was determined to finish THOSE SOCKS. The kidlet's been really more than patient, so I was determined to get them finished - plus, I found out that a table at the annual Community College Arts & Crafts fair was EIGHTY-FIVE FREAKIN DOLLARS I decided that I needed to knit something else. Nope, won't be doing that particular arts & crafts thingy.
So, I knit and knit and knit and. . . . well, you get the picture. I now know why people don't knit knee socks - if you think knitting a pair of "regular" short socks takes forever, try knitting knee socks. And these don't even go all the way up to her knees. After being determined to make the sock fit properly, I gave up and stopped a couple of inches short of the knee. So, without further delay THOSE SOCKS:

Friday was the Veteran's day holiday. I was off, and I "celebrated" both Friday and Saturday. Veteran's day for me is not just another shopping holiday. I grew up in a small town where we took our veterans very seriously. I went to lots and lots of Veteran's day services, bought lots and lots of poppies, and (even though this is a Memorial Day thing) spent lots of time placing remembrances on graves. So, I have a tendancy to take this day as it was intended - a day to remember those who fought for this country, for not only what they believed in, but for what I believe in.
Remember how right after 9/11 everyone was buying all the red, white, & blue t-shirts they could find. All those tacky flag shirts? The ones with eagles on a flag background? All the pseudo-patriotic crap that was around??? To me, patriotism is not something you wear, or put on your car, or even fight for. Patriotism is something much, much deeper - it's hard to describe, but for me, it's in everything we do on a daily basis. It's respecting authority enough to drive the speed limit even though you think 45 is a stupidly slow speed - there must be a reason for it. Patriotism is something you live out every single day of your life, in your actions and attitudes. There are some (ok, quite a few) who will be more than glad to tell you that I have the most un-patriotic attitude they've ever seen. But, I'll tell you - I respect the sacrifice those in the Armed Forces make every single day of their lives, with their lives. Those who are fighting in far-off countries, and those who are stationed "state-side." I've known many who fought, and many who died. Most didn't want to, but did it because they felt like they needed to do it for their country - for us. And for that, I will always and forever be grateful.
So, I spent the weekend knitting and appreciating our veterans. I hope they all had somebody tell them "thank you" - it's the very least we can do.

OK, back to the knitting portion of our program.
The other sock picture:

the socks used the toe & heel portion of this sock from Knitty. Then, I pretty much winged it - increasing when I thought I should, making the kidlet try the first one on almost daily, and then making the second one to match (with opposite coloring). They're kinda cool, and I wish I had the nerve to knit another pair, cause I'd like one.

The other monumentous stuff from the weekend: I need a new wiper motor for the car - wipers completely quit working. Not fuses, but wiper blade. Cross your fingers that it's as easy to replace as the voltage regulator on an old car of mine was - pop off, pop on! It's gonna be expensive - and more so if I have to find a mechanic (shiver!)
Also, the heating element on the dryer went out. Now I have to try to find a replacement, and find out exactly where it is on the dryer. I'm hoping that when I find the replacement, it's size and shape will lead me to one that matches, but is not working on the dryer. Fingers crosse - I hate all this stuff happening just before Christmas - ah, well!

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Voting and other stuff

I did not vote yesterday - I was very wise and voted last week. When the very nice lady handed me my paper ballot, I didn't really think much about it - after all, I was, in effect, voting absentee, and all absentee ballots are paper. I sort of missed the little computerized voting machine, with it's lights, and it's little 'ding' when you pull the lever, but I figured it was a small price to pay to not have to stand in line for HOURS. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I found out that EVERYONE had to use those paper ballots! Now, they're not bad - easily readable, instructions are easy to follow, just fill in the little oval, but - I want to know just when we took a giant step BACKWARDS into the dark ages????? How is filling out a paper ballot better than a computerized one? I've been pushing those little lighted buttons since I began voting, and I never once heard anything about hanging chads, or people being confused about how to push a button, or anything. I've lived in NM my enitre life (my time in purgatory is not counted), and it never ceases to amaze me how badly we, as a state, can screw things up. One of our ealy govenors was a man named Lew Wallace. You might have heard of him - he wrote Ben Hur. In a letter to his wife, he wrote:
"All calculations based on our experiences elsewhere fail in New Mexico."
It's known as the Curse of Lew Wallace - and let me tell you - if it can be screwed up, messed up or cursed, it can be done in NM. Its a cross we bear to live in such perfect (well, mostly perfect) weather.
We're used to it.
No new knitting - still have to wind the latest purchases into balls.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Yarn and More Yarn

First, let me just get this off my chest: $40 FOR FREAKIN LION BRAND YARN?!?!?!?! HAVE THEY LOST THEIR MINDS?????
Ok, I feel better now.
My Mommy was feeling flush this week, so she sent me and the kidlet some money. I was responsible and paid a couple of bills, but I also bought yarn - like you didn't see that coming!
I got some really pretty Meilenwhiet (or however the heck you spell it) yarn to make a couple of pairs of socks. Soft blues and pinks - very nice. Also some gorgeous hand-painted yarn from a local spinner - I forget her name, but I will look at the labels, and post it later, because she does the most beautiful yarns! I got 2 hanks of a really pretty lavender-light blue colorway, one of a pretty pink, and one of a really nice sort of brick color.
I also ordered my sister's Christmas present today - since she sometimes reads this blog, I won't say what it is, but it's lovely, a knitting essential, and she's going to be very surprised. Monday, when I'm back to "regular" email - I'm going to see about getting this deluxe sock kit - as Stephanie pointed out $60 is a great price, and I wanted to knit socks for my nephew and his girlfriend, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these patterns - how cool to knit them socks that are basically the same colors, but different patterns? I'm very happy about my Christmas projects this year - now if I could only get the Arts & Crafts people in line, I could stop worrying about the rest of this year - yeah, right!

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Something

I have to write something, but danged if I know what to write! I'm still working on THOSE socks - although, I'm on the second one, so it's going along. I've been double-knitting a pair of gauntlets, they're coming along nicely, and I like having both hands working at the same time, even though the 2X2 rib seems to be slowing me down a bit - it hasn't stopped me, and I haven't made any serious mistakes yet - so we're still moving right along.
Still having litter box & cat issues - I may be short one cat by the end of the weekend - he almost met his maker this morning, and if I find cat poop in my chair one more morning, believe me, he won't be around much longer! GRRRRRRRR!
Ok, it's a short post, cause I don't have pics - I just need to take them, that's all!